Panama City, Panama – The 2015 Web.com Tour season opened last week with the Panama Claro Championship, where former eGolf Gateway Tour star Harold Varner III continued his ascension up the pro ranks with a runner-up finish, in turn matching his career best on the PGA TOUR’s developmental circuit dating back to the 2014 Rex Hospital Open.

Varner, who narrowly missed out on earning his 2015 PGA TOUR card during a solid rookie year on the Web.com Tour, opened his week at host Panama Golf Club with rounds of 67-64—131 (9-under) to grab the outright lead at the event’s halfway point.

A third-round 71 halted the former East Carolina star’s torrid momentum, but nevertheless left him at 8-under par heading into Sunday’s final round – just one shot back of playing partner Hao tong Li, and tied with former PGA TOUR member Matthew Goggin.

Birdies on Nos. 1 and 3 gave Varner early control of the lead, as Li struggled out of the gate on his way to a final-round 76.

But Goggin, playing in the day’s penultimate twosome, kept pace with birdies on Nos. 1 and 7 to turn in 10-under par – one shot back of Varner after the affable Gastonia, N.C. native added a third opening nine birdie on the par-3 eighth to move to 11-under.

“When I got on 10 tee I knew what was at stake,” said Varner. “You’ve just got to accept it. It is what it is. It’s just like any person that goes to war, they don’t complain. They go to work.”

On the back nine, however, Varner struggled early and often, bogeying Nos. 10, 12, 14 and 16 to fall three shot back of Goggin with two holes to go.

When Goggin birdied the par-3 17th to reach 11-under par and four shots in the clear, the Australian had all but wrapped up his fifth career Web.com Tour title and his second in Panama.

Varner, needing a miracle to catch the runaway winner, pared 17 and 18 to finish off a 1-over 71 and a 7-under 273 tally – good for a solo-second-place finish and a $67,500 payday.

Henrik Norlander

The runner-up put Varner in second place on the tour’s money list, where the top 25 players at season’s end will automatically earn their PGA TOUR cards for the 2015-16 season.

Varner’s success on the eGolf Gateway Tour was well documented, with 13 top-10 finishes in 25 starts over a year and a half serving as a stout resume reminder to his vast talent. The former Pirate standout did not win during that stretch, but notched runner-up finishes at the Founders Club Classic, Mimosa Hills Open and Mid Pines Classic en route to a fifth-place finish on the tour’s season-ending money list in 2013.

From there, Varner turned to eGolf Tour Florida, where he picked up career win No. 1 at the Lee Westwood Golf School Open, and followed that up with additional wins at the Stonegate Classic and the Alaqua Open.

During his torrid stretch in the Sunshine State, the current Jacksonville Beach, Fla. Resident managed to play his way onto the 2014 Web.com Tour, thanks to a T32 finish at the final stage of the tour’s inaugural Qualifying Tournament.

Former eGolf Gateway Tour winner Henrik Norlander of Sweden finished in solo-fifth place in Panama, thanks to rounds of 68-67-68-72—275 (5-under).

The former Augusta State star, who is in his second full season on the Web.com Tour, was 8-under par for the week through six holes on Sunday, but bogeyed four of his final 12 holes on his way to a 2-over 72.

The finish marked the fourth career top-10 for Norlander on the Web.com Tour, dating back to three top-10s in the 2014 season – including a career-best T3 finish at the Chile Classic.

Norlander made 15 of 18 cuts on the eGolf Gateway Tour in 2012, racking up three top-5s and his first professional win at the Olde Sycamore Open in September. The Augusta, Ga. resident earned his PGA TOUR card for the 2013 season, where he recorded three top-25 finishes.

Other eGolf Gateway Tour players to make the cut in the Panama Claro Championship include Aaron Watkins (T6), Darron Stiles (T12), Tim Madigan (T15), Brett Stegmaier (T21), Matt Fast (T21), Jamie Lovemark (T21), Trey Mullinax (T21), Jeff Gove (T28), Julian Etulain (T28), Kevin Tway (T34), Peter Malnati (T40), Mark Anderson (T40), Brock Mackenzie (T40), Mark Silvers (T49), Marc Turnesa (T59), Hugo Leon (T59), Scott Parel (T64), Mikey Moyers (T64), John Mallinger (T64), Aron Price (T68), Joel Dahmen (T70), Richy Werenski (72) and Ted Brown (73).